Can feeder for vertical coolers



Dec. 6, 1932. A. R. THoMPsoN 1,889,908

GAN FEEDER EOE VERTICAL cooLEas Filed Jan. l5, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 6, 1932. A, R THOMPSON l 1,889,908

CAN FEEDER FOR VERTICAL COOLERS Filed Jan. 15,l 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

BY M/ Maa/ ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 6,- 1932. A, R THOMPSON 1,889,908

CAN FEEDER FOR VERTICAL COOLERS Filed Jan. l5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' INI/ENTOR,

A TTORNE YS.

Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN' JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO ANDERSON-BARI- GBOVER MFG. CO., OFSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA CAN FEEDER FOR VERTICAL COOLEBS Application led January 15, 1930. Serial No. 420,970.

My invention relates to the class of vertical coolers of the type disclosed 1n my prev1ous Patents Nos. 1,651,912, December 6th, 1927, and 1,721,193, July 16th, 1929. It concerns more particularly the feeding device by which the cans are supplied to the cooler.

0n account of the general structure of the cooler, comprising a can chamber between spaced concentric walls, a hehcal, ascending can track in said chamber, and a rapidly rotating reel of closely spaced pusher bars .to roll the cans upon said track, it is essential that the cans, which are supplied through an opening in the side of the cooler, shallenter between the bars not only with maximum timely precision but also under full control while so entering and until their control is completely assumed by said bars. I have found that it is better in some respects to pass the cans on end through the feed turret and to tip them on to their sides into the cooling chamber, as shown in my earlier patent, in stead of retaining them throughout the entire feed in a recumbent position, as in my later patent above referred to. have, accordingly, in the present case, while adopting the tipping in feed of the cans, improved .the means therefor, not only for constructive s1mplicity, but also, and, chiefly, for e'ectiveness in feeding and timing the entrance of the cans to the relatively narrow and fast moving spaces between the pusher bars of the cooler with a positiveness and control necessary to insure the continuit of the supply with no tendency to obstruction or confusion.

The object of my present invention, therefore, is to provide a simple and effective canfeeder for vertical coolers of this type; and to this end it consists, briey stated, in the novel inclined can-feeding turret and its proximate relation to the cooler, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Ihave i1- lustrated my can feedin device in its preferred form, though it 1s to be understood that changes may be made therein without d'eparting` from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is' a sectional side elevation of my feeder, a portion ofthe cooler being shown,

and only the lower portion of the twisted feed chute 17 being included for want of space.

Fig. 1a is a view of the upper portion of the twisted feed chute 17, the lines -ay in the two figures, indicating the respective co`1 inciding ends of the chute sections.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation at right angles to Fi 1, the feed chute 17 being as before cut o for' like reason.

Fig. 2a is a view of the cuto portion of the feed chute, which, as indicated by the lines immediately joins the portion shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2b is a view of the extremity section of said feed chute, the lines y-g/ indicating the coinciding ends of the portions of Figs. 2a and 2b.

Fig. 3 is a plan view on the line 43*--3 of Fig.

Fig. 3a is a view, broken, of a portion of the feed chute 17, joining the portion shown in Fig. 3, as indicated by the lines :1o-w.

l 1 designates a portion of the annular treating chamber of the cooler to which 'the cans are to be fed. 2 are the concentric walls of the chamber, and 3 are the rails forming an ascending helical track, as usual in this type of vertical cooler. The cans 4 roll on their sides along the track 3, and are propelled by a series of spaced pusher-bars 5. 6 is a ring securing the lower ends of the bars 5, it bein understood that their upper ends are joine by a similar member, not shown, to fo a rigid reel. The outer wall of the chamber l is provided with an aperture 7 through which the cans are introduced. 8 is a rotatable turret in immediate association with the aperture 7 of the cooler. The essential characteristic of this turret is its angular and proXi mate relation to the side of the cooler, it being inclined downwardly to and entering the p feed aperture 7. The turret is rotatably mounted upon a spindle 9, which is carried in a suitable frame 10 secured to the lower portion of the cooler. The turret 8 is driven from the reel ring 6 by a train of gears 11, 12, and 13 and a pair of bevel gears 14, one of the latter being secured to the bottom of the turret. The turret is formed with a peripheral series of can-receiving and bodily-carrying 100 Bti pockets 15 having closed bottoms but open outer sides and tops. 16, Fig. 3, is a fixed guard rail lying just outside of a portion of the turret periphery but terminating at the feed aperture 7, whereby it does not obstruct the free comlnunication of the pockets 15 of the turret with said feed aperture. The frame 10, which carries the turret, also carries a distorted or twisted feed chute 17, which, at its upper end 17 is adapted to receive the cans rolling by gravity upon their sides, as shown in Fig. 3a, and at its lower end 17 to turn the cans on their ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and to deliver them on end to the pockets 15 of the turret. Beside this portion 17 of the feed chute 17 there is a worm 18, which is adapted by engagement with the cans as they pass down the chute, to

time them after the manner of such devices in controlling a moving procession of cans. The worm 18 is driven, as shown in Fig. 2, from the ear train 11, 12, 13, through the gears 19, s aft 20, and pinions 21.

The operation of the feeder is as follows The cans, from whatever source proceeding, roll down by gravity upon their sides in the initial portion 17 of the chute 17. As they arrive at the lower portion 17 of said chute they are, due to the chute distortion or twist, turned on end, and being engaged by the timing screw 18, they are delivered into the pockets 15 of the rotating turret 8. ln these ockets, due to the inclination of the turret, t ey occupy an end-tilted position. As the inclined turret rotates, the cans are retained in the pockets by the guard-rail 16. When they reach the lowest arc of revolution, at which time they are freed from the guard rail, they tip in by gravity through the cooler opening 7 and fall into the cooler chamber 1 between the pusher bars 5 and lie upon the helical track in said chamber upon their sides. The angle at which the turret lies, with respect to the cooler, must necessarily be one which will receive and carry the cans in an end-tilt beyond the angle of stability, so that when said cans cease to be restrained, they will, by gravity, tip out of the turret pockets 15. By properly calculating the degree of inclination, one can lind the best angle that will give the cans a tipping speed necessary to insure the maximum accurate delivery between the closely spaced and rapidly moving pusher bars 5 of the cooler.

Also it will be noted that in their construction, there is throughout the entire course of feeding, a minimum of sliding friction, since the cans are positively carried and supported within the pockets 15 of the turret 8, instead of bein slid along a stationary table by means offra rotating turret or star-wheel, as in my first patent. Therefore, although the cans are carried through the greater portion of their immediate approach to the cooler upon their ends they are not subjected to sliding pressure, but are positively bodily carried to their point of tippin entry into the cooler.

Another feature o importance herein lies in the positional relation of the inclined turret to the can-path in the cooler, which results in the positive control of the cans in their inclined position from their very reception in the turret to the moment when they are fully under the control of the pusher bars of the cooler path. This is well shown in Fig. 1, the can 4, the tilted position of which is still maintained under turret control, is being positively introduced to the cooler path before said can starts to tip, the top end of the can being placed between the pusher bars and urged forward during the time of tipping to recumbent position, the bottom or outer side of the can being still under turret control and being propelled thereby during tipping and until full recumbency is reached. This, it will be noted, is in contrast to the disclosure of my earlier patent above noted, wherein the 'can is dependent upon gravity tilting for its initial introduction to the cooler-path. I claim 1. In apparatus of the class described, a can-way adapted for the rolling progression of cans; a reel of spaced bars adapted to advance the cans along said can-way; a turret associated therewith adapted for rotation in a plane inclined to the reel bars, and adapted to present the rounding surfaces of the cans to said bars at an angle thereto, said turret being adapted to control and advance the outer end of the can during the positioning of said cans.

2. In combination with a vertical cooler having a path adapted for the rolling progression of cans, a rotating reel of spaced pusher-bars adapted to roll the cans upon said path, and an inlet in its side communicating with said path and reel; a turret associated with said inlet, rotatable in a plane inclined to the pusher-bars and having pockets parallel with the turret axis adapting them to carry the cans end-tilted beyond the angle of stability, and to timely introduce them through said inlet and into the spaces between the pusher-bars, for gravity tipping to and rollin progression upon the cooler path, said poc ets positively retaining control of he cans while tipping, adapted to insure eir unimpeded introduction between and in timely accord with the rotation of said bars.

3. In combination with a vertical cooler having a path adapted for the rolling pro'- gression of cans, a rotating reel of spaced pusher-bars adapted to roll the cans upon said path, and an inlet in its side communicating with said path and reel; a turret associated with said inlet rotatable in a plane inclined to the pusher-bars and having pockets parallel with the turret axis and of a height less than the length of the cans, adapted to carry them end-tilted beyond the angle of stability with their upper ends projecting thereabove, said pockets being adapted to timely introduce the end-tilted cans through said inlet and into the spaces between the pusher-bars for gravity tipping to androlling progression upon the cooler path, said pockets during the tipping of the cans rst yielding the upper ends thereof to the pusher bars, while temporarily retaining contact with their lower ends in timely accord with the rotation of said bars.

4. In combination with a vertical cooler having a path adapted for the rolling progression of cans, a rotating reel of spaced pusher-bars adapted to roll the cans upon said path, and an inlet in its side communieating with said path and reel; a turret associated with said inlet, rotatable in a plane inclined to the pusher bars, the lower periphery of said turret being adjacent said pusherbars and traveling at substantially the same speed and adapted by said angular rotation to place cans between said pusher-bars when said pusher-bars and turret periphery are traveling in substantially a common direction.

5. In combination with a vertical cooler having a path adapted for therolling progression of cans, a rotating reel of spaced pusher-bars adapted to roll the cans upon said path, and an inlet in its side communieatin with said path and reel; a turret associate with said inlet, rotatable'in a plane inclined to the pusher-bars, the lower periphery of said turret being adjacent said pusherbars and traveling at substantially the same speed and adapted by said angular rotation to move cans toward the axis of the reel and between the pusher bars, the angle of the cans remaining constant during such advance.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON. 

